Improvement in invalid-bedsteads



W. SPANNER.

INVALIDBEDSTE'AD.

No. 186,694 Patented Janv.30,187'7.

UNITED' STATES 'PATENT Grrron.

WALTER SPANNER, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMINMORTON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN INVALID-BEDSTEADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 186,694, dated January30, 1877; application filed August 19, 1876.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WALTER SPANNER, of thecity of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario,Canada, carpenter, have invented certain new and useful Improvements onInvalid-Bedsteads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to those bedsteads which are constructed withcertain devices for increasing the comfort and permitting of the bettertreatment of invalids than they can receive when occupying the ordinarybedsteads. In other bedsteads for this purpose they have beencomplicated in construction, and are consequently difficult to operate;while my invention is simple in its construction, inexpensive, and canbe operated by any ordinary attendant, and in many cases entirely by theinvalid, and Without getting out from the bed-clothes.

It consists, first, of the mechanism by which the bolster-frame israised to any desired inclination, when so required for the comfort ofthe invalid', and either by itself or with the entire bottom, so thatthe body of theinvalid may be placed in an inclined position when suchposition is found to be necessary; secon, in the combination andarrangement of a table which, when not in use, has the appearance of anornamental panel inside of the foot-board, and being hinged to thesiderails of the bedstead, and in such a manner that when folded overfor use it affords all the convenience of an ordinary table; third, inthe combination of a book-rest attached to and forming a part of theaforesaid table, which, when not in use, the book-rest is sunk flush inthe same, and when in use, the bookrest is simply raised on its hinges,and may be adjusted by means of a hinged rod attached thereto; fourth,in the combination and arrangement of a bed-pan, which, in most cases,may be used by the invalid without any assistance and without leavingthe bed, which is attained by means of a prepared mattress and suitableapparatus for sliding the pan from its usual position to that of a givenposition under the mattress, and again from the sired inclination, whenso required, viz: The bevel-wheels g and h, endless screw e, wheel f,portion of the hinged rack K, table D, in two positions, the arm d beingpivoted to the side rail A', and, when folded over for use,

rests against shoulders l, (see Fig. 3,) giving the necessary stabilityto the table when in use. rIlhe other position is when it is foldedclosely up tothe foot-board, and appears as an ornamental panel. Fig. 1shows also the book-rest cl2, and supported by the angular rod d3, also,the bolster-frame B, and extensionboard therein B', at an inclinedposition, the mattress E thereon and on the bottom, and a separatepiece, El, in the form of a pad, which is moved laterally in connectionwith the bed-pan F, (shown in Figs. 2 and 3,) as hereinafter more fullydescribed.

Fig. 2 is a plan, showing the various parts of the bedstead A, viz.,side rails A1, end rails A2, posts A4bed-bottom C with frame, apertureO, pan F, rubber cover O2, handle M with axle m, bevel-wheels g h,endless screw e, axle L, and lever N for moving the padblock t andpan-holder w'.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional elevation, showing pad-block t, bed-pan Fwith pan-holder m', key m, slideways w w, cross-bar C1, stud S for leverN, the key a serving to lock together and to unlock the pan-holder andthe block t, by turning the key and causing its bent end to engage withor be released from the block.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional elevation, with f bolster-frame B andextension-board B', and and the links b2 b3 b4 for operating the same,hinged rack K, pinion L', guide k1, sliding stop k2, axle k3, arms lo*for operating the sliding stop k2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section, showing bottom C, frame O1, slideways ww, rubber cover O2, intended to be air-tight above the pan F.

It will be seen from the drawings that Aon turning the handle M it willrotate the bevelwheels g h, and the endless screw e, wheelf, axle L,pinions L' L', which will give a vertically-reciprocating motion to theracks K K and elevate the outer end of the bolster-frame B, which, afterbeing raised a little, on turning the axle k3, by means of the arms71:4, will unlock the bottom-frame G5 from the crossbar O3, and willmove the catch k2 into the ratchet on back of racks K; and on turningthe handle M the bottom C will rise with the bolster-frame B, and to anyinclination that may be required. It will also be seen that by movingthe lever N on its fulcrum n' it will,

` by means of the stud S, move in either direction the block t with padEl, and also the panholder x' with pan F. When the bolsterframe B iselevated to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it will be seen thatthe pad El, being secured to the block t, does not rise with themattress E. An aperture, E2, will thus be formed in the mattress E,through which the pad E1 will be moved by the lever N, without anyinterruption from the mattress E, as herein shown. 1t will also be seenthat as the bolster-frame B rises the link b3 acts as a lever, andpushes out and extends the bolin relation to such bolster, as specifiedand described.

2. In an invalid-bedstead, constructed with an adjustably-movableextension-bol ster board B', the combination of the links b2 b3 b4,bottom C, hinged racks K K, axle L, pinions L' L', wheelf, enless screwe, bevel-wheels g h,

and axle m, and handle M, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the block t, pan F, and pan-holder x', key az,lever N, and slide- Ways w w, as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the catch k2, axle k3, and arms 7a4, with thebed-bottom and the racks K, as and for the purpose described.

WALTER SPANNER. Witnesses:

WiLLIAM GILL, ALFRED BOYD.

